


Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps

by mcgarrygirl78



Series: Gentleman Prefer Blondes [2]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Friendship, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-05
Updated: 2014-10-05
Packaged: 2018-02-20 00:44:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2408924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“David, stop being cryptic.  Tell me what you do for a living or I’ll be forced to believe you really are in the Mafia.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps

Erin and Nora walked out of the swim club and across the street to the Tuscany Café. Adams-Morgan was busy, even in the early afternoon, but that wasn’t out of the ordinary. Summer was on its way to the nation’s capital; this was the perfect weather for mixing business and pleasure. The women decided to take an outside table. They'd spent too much time inside recently; work had been busy for them both. Soaking up as many of the sun’s rays as possible was essential this afternoon.

“Lets make a pact.” Nora said, looking over the menu as the server walked away.

“Alright.”

“We will never again let three weeks pass without setting eyes on each other. I know how busy we are but I need to see my best friend.”

“Me too.” Erin reached for her hand. “I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off. There’s a possibility of a deal in East Germany. Right now it’s nothing but buzz but it’s an important buzz and I want to be on the train when it leaves the gate.”

“That’s not surprising.” Nora replied.

“If East Germany opens then the rest of the bloc is bound to follow in lockstep. Mark my words, by 1990 we are going to be living in a very different world.”

“Give me a pen…I want to mark your words.”

“Haha.” Erin licked out her tongue. “You know what I mean, Nora. Still, it’s no excuse for my absence lately. New rule, we talk at least once a week and see each other at least twice a month; no matter what.”

“Good deal.” Nora nodded.

“I wish it could be more, your friendship keeps me grounded you know. Work has been gratifying but exhausting. It may be about to pay off in a big way though.”

“How so?”

The server returned for their order. Erin wanted a glass of unsweetened iced tea with her garden salad. Nora went for the turkey club with no bacon and a root beer.

“You're looking at the future Vice President of Overseas Ventures. Nathan Fielding is retiring at the end of the year. The rumor is that he’s going to handpick his successor. You know I can’t be bothered with rumors but…”

“Nathan groomed you.” Nora finished.

“Exactly.” Erin nodded. “Everything I know about Blackthorne is because of him. Well, the man taught me everything about everything. He never asked for anything in return but allegiance and he’s always had it. OK, you know what, enough about work. I haven’t seen you in three weeks…tell me what I've missed.”

“Nothing really, it’s been work and home. Daniel and I are also planning a vacation for August. He thinks its time to take Jason to Disney World. Oh, I also have pictures.”

“Let me see.” Erin smiled as Nora pulled two pictures from her purse and handed them to her.

“Oh Nora, he is so beautiful.” She looked at the picture of Jason sitting on the floor wearing a big grin. He had a head full of black curls just like his mother and his father’s impish grin. In the other picture Daniel was holding Jason while Nora had her arms wrapped around her husband. “You guys are so damned cute it makes me want to throw up. In a good way, of course.” She slipped the pictures into her purse.

“There is nothing good about throwing up, Erin.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. You have a beautiful family; I mean that. I'm afraid I might miss Jason’s birthday. I'm traveling over to West Berlin and Bonn for meetings in two weeks and I’ll be gone for ten days. I'm so sorry.”

“Its alright.” Nora replied. “We’re just going to do the movies and pizza. Its going to be low key…you know Jason isn’t fond of parties. My son doesn’t even like birthday cake.”

“Well I’ll bring him something from Germany. He’ll like that.” Erin said.

“He will love that. So what else is happening? Don’t tell me it’s all work, work, work.”

“Pretty much.” Erin nodded. “Well there is one thing. Do you remember David Rossi?”

“From the Shepard show? I don’t think I can forget him. I'm really sorry that I had to run out on you like that. I hope you didn’t take it out on him.”

“I let him drive me home.”

“Really? Well how was…?”

“We slept together.”

Nora gasped just as the server returned with lunch. He asked Nora if she was alright while putting down the plates. She looked at him.

“Oh yes, I'm fine. Thank you.”

“Can I get you ladies anything else?” He asked.

They both shook their heads so he walked away. Nora just looked at her best friend. For the first time in their entire relationship she didn’t quite know what to say.

“I broke my cardinal rule.” Erin said.

“It happens sometimes.” Nora reasoned.

“Not to me, Nora. Not once since I've started dating has it ever happened. I've never even contemplated it. Remember Alex used to say that I had a Venus flytrap protecting my assets?”

“Alex was an ass sometimes.” Nora said. It wasn’t that she hated Erin’s ex-husband, but there was something. The things he used to say to her, Erin would’ve smacked other men across the mouth for the same remarks. Alex made her different, and not in a good way. Nora wasn’t completely sorry to see him go. He was the one subject she could not get Erin to open up on. A part of Nora feared there was so much more to the story than she was ever going to know. “I'm sorry; that wasn’t my place.”

“Don’t be silly, you’re my best friend. Anything you want to say is your place whether I want to hear it or not. Anyway, when you're right, you're right.”

“Tell me about David Rossi.”

“There's not much to tell…you met him. He’s cocky, brash, and very handsome. And oh my God, Nora, he smells so good you would not even believe. Three weeks later and I can still smell him in my sheets. And don’t say anything about my not changing the sheets for three weeks. He’s also witty and drives a green Mangusta.”

“A what?” Nora raised an eyebrow.

“A Mangusta, it’s an Italian sports car. It’s quite a smooth ride.”

“Was he a smooth ride?”

Erin let out a cackle, quickly covering her mouth. Nora laughed too. It was no easy feat to get Erin Strauss to laugh out loud like that. Doing it without even trying was a big deal.

“You’ve got such a dirty mind, woman. And to think my mother swears you're the good one.” Erin said.

“No comment. Tell me about him, Erin. Was he in the Mafia?”

“He says he’s a Behavioral Analyst with the FBI, whatever the hell that means. We didn’t get a chance to talk much. He had to rush out at 5am. I thought that was suspicious, but he claimed his job doesn’t have hours. How could I refute it as mine doesn’t either?”

“Did you believe him?” Nora asked.

“It doesn’t matter. It was just a one-night stand.”

“Do you really believe that? You’ve been having sex for 13 years and you think you broke your cardinal rule for a one-night stand.”

“I don't know.” Erin shook her head. “I honestly don’t know and I don’t have time to find out. I'm too busy to date, Nora, and I'm about to get busier. I can barely find time for you and I love you the most. I've got nothing for David Rossi.”

“Well, if you're already thinking like that then maybe you don’t.” She replied.

***

Erin sat in her office after her afternoon meeting. She was staring at the phone, thinking about picking it up. The number was seared into her brain though she hadn’t used it yet. She thought about it, talked herself out of it, and thought about it some more. Nora’s words rang in her ear, ‘ _if you're already thinking like that then maybe you don’t_ ’. After that they just made small talk. The subject of David Rossi was dropped.

Erin never, OK rarely, walked into situations that she wasn’t fully prepared for. She’d been divorced for six years and had only been serious with one man in that time. Sean Caldwell was an attorney in the Majority Whip’s office. They dated for over a year but that was nearly three years ago. He was a wonderful guy but he wanted marriage, kids, and the white picket fence. Erin wasn’t ready for that yet…she didn’t know if she would ever be.

There had been a few other men, some dating, but she was passing them up as fast as they were calling. She wanted something different; something more. What, Erin had no idea. She just knew she didn’t want the offer on the table. Sighing, she picked up the phone and dialed the number. It rang four times before she heard his voice.

“Rossi.”

“Hello David, it’s…”

“Erin Strauss.”

“Yes. You remembered my voice.”

“I remember everything about you. It’s been a while.” He said.

“I've been quite busy.” She said.

“I understand that. Are you doing well?”

“I am; and yourself?”

“Good. I still want to take you to dinner, Erin.”

“I’d like that.” She was smiling. Dammit, she was smiling.

“Are you available tonight?” Dave asked.

“As a matter of fact, I am.”

“I’ll pick you up at seven. Dress casually.”

“How casually?” Erin asked.

“You can wear jeans if you own them. I want you to be comfortable; I have no doubt you’ll be beautiful.”

“Thank you David. I’ll see you at seven.”

“I'm looking forward to it. Goodbye.”

“Bye.”

Erin ended the phone call and dialed another number. It rang five times but someone finally picked up. The young woman sounded out of breath.

“Families in Transition, this is Amy. May I help you?”

“Nora Gideon please.”

“Hold on.”

Erin listened to bad elevator music for too long before a sweet voice answered.

“Good afternoon, this is Nora Gideon, may I help you?”

“I need a frontal lobotomy.” Erin said. “Do you provide those services?”

“What did you do?” Nora asked, laughing some.

“I'm having dinner with David Rossi tonight.”

“Really?”

“Mmm hmm. You may have been right, Nora.”

“About what?”

“There is a possibility, a small possibility, that I'm intrigued.”

“You can thank me later. And you better call and give me all the details.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“I know you, Erin; you won't be able to help yourself.”

“Bye honey.”

***

“Tell me where you're from.” He said.

“Hmm?”

Erin stopped talking and smiled. They were at MacArthur’s Pub in Alexandria, Virginia. The place was crowded tonight, surely it was crowded every night, but they had a nice semi-secluded booth. So far the evening had been quite relaxed. Erin sang along to the oldies from the speakers, which made Dave smile. Sometimes he even sang with her. When they weren't singing, she and Dave just talked and talked.

“Tell me where you're from.”

“Where do I sound like I'm from?” She asked, eating more of her Shepherd’s Pie.

“Well there seems to be a little London, a little Manhattan, and just a touch of Main Line Philadelphia. Just a touch though.”

“How did you guess that? How did you…have you researched me, David?” Erin asked.

“No, of course not,” Dave shook his head. “It’s my job.”

“What’s your job?”

“That’s some of what a behavioral analyst does. Wait, am I right?”

“Perhaps.” She rolled her eyes.

“Tell me.” Dave slid his hand over hers.

“I was born in London, moved with my parents to the Upper East Side of Manhattan at 13, and attended Bryn Mawr College.”

“Game, set, match.” Dave grinned.

“I have no idea where you're from.”

“Commack, Long Island.”

“Oh.”

“You have no idea where that is, do you?”

“I plead the fifth.” She replied, laughing.

“I love your laughter. It’s as beautiful as you are, though something tells me you don’t do it enough.”

“Thank you. You don’t have to shower me with compliments.”

“I know that, but I probably will anyway. It’s not hard to say things when they're true.”

Erin smiled. He was definitely a smooth talker. She wanted to know why Dave was working so hard, he’d already gotten laid.

“So work has been busy?” He asked.

“No more than usual. I may be first in line for a huge promotion…I've been showing what an asset I am.”

“I just bet you are, Erin Strauss.”

“I want you to tell me what a behavioral analyst does. It must be quite interesting if you get 5am pages.” She said.

“I had to leave for Knott County, Kentucky. There was a case.”

“Can you talk about it?” Erin asked.

“You'd probably prefer if I didn’t.”

“David, stop being cryptic. Tell me what you do for a living or I’ll be forced to believe you really are in the Mafia.”

“The Mafia?” Dave asked, laughing. “Are you serious?”

“Yes.” She nodded. “You're being purposely evasive about what you do for a living. What am I supposed to think?”

Their waitress came over to the table. Erin wanted a carry case for her dinner. It was delicious but quite filling. She nodded yes on another light beer. Dave’s fish and chips were gone; he asked for a glass of water.

“Behavioral analysts profile criminals based on their behavior.” He said when the waitress walked away. “We use victimology, signatures, patterns…I'm simplifying it of course.”

“Are you? You really don’t have to do that; I'm quite intelligent. I have a Master’s Degree from American University and…”

“You do?” Dave asked. His hand was still over hers, his thumb gently stroking over her soft skin. Erin’s skin was quite soft. “What did you study?”

“International Communications.”

“Fascinating.”

“David…”

“I've thought about kissing you for nearly a month. You have me ensorcelled; I'm man enough to admit it.”

“We were discussing behavioral analysis.” Erin said, grinning. She couldn’t remember the last time she was so giddy with a man. Who was David Rossi and what were his magical powers?

“Right, OK, lets use Ted Bundy as an example. His victimology was relatively simple, young women with brown or dark blonde hair usually parted in the center. He haunted college campuses initially and when he came full circle at the end. It was actually his leaving the anonymity of that environment that allowed law enforcement to identify and catch him. Necrophilia was one of his signatures. So was…”

“Did you just say necrophilia?” Her face conveyed her disgust.

“Yes.” Dave nodded.

“And you study people like that?”

“I profile criminals based on their behavior. Then I give those profiles to local authorities and they catch the bad guys.”

“Did you profile Bundy?” Erin asked.

“I didn’t, but the BAU did.”

“What's the BAU?”

The waitress came back with their drinks. She quickly wrapped Erin’s leftovers and left the couple alone. They were leaning across the table now, faces close, deep in conversation.

“It’s the Behavioral Analysis Unit; we’re part of the FBI.”

“Hmm,” She put her free hand under her chin.

“One of two things just happened.” Dave said. “I either freaked you out or scared you off.”

“No.” Erin shook her head.

“No what?”

“Just no.”

“Alright.” Dave flagged the waitress. “Check please.”

***

David Rossi drove fast. He drove fast and listened to Anita Baker in his tape deck. It seemed to take half the time to get from Alexandria to DC, where Erin had an apartment on DuPont Circle. He cracked the windows for her to smoke a cigarette, which was barely finished as he was moving through her neighborhood. She watched her apartment go by twice while humming _You Bring Me Joy_.

“David?”

“Yes?”

“We’ve passed my apartment twice. Is there any particular reason why?”

“I was looking for a place to park. I realize now this may be a completely fruitless exercise in this neighborhood. I can just drop you next time around if you'd like.”

“Keep looking.” Erin glanced over at him.

“Yes ma'am.”

The fifth time was the charm. Dave drove over an extra block and finally found a space three blocks from her apartment. The Mangusta was compact, fit easily between a Buick and a badly parked Hyundai. He cut the engine and put the keys in his pocket.

“Don’t move.” He told her before climbing out of the car.

She didn’t have time to respond before she was alone. Dave came around to the passenger side, opening her door. Erin took the hand she was offered. He slipped his arm around her and turned on his alarm.

“You're not worried about the car?” Erin asked.

“It’s just a car.”

“It’s an $80,000 car, David.”

“You know cars?” Dave asked.

“I know expensive things.”

That wasn’t at all surprising. Neither was her slipping out of his grasp. Her hand reaching back afterward was interesting though. Dave took it in his.

“I had a nice time tonight.” She said. “That’s remarkable considering necrophilia came up in conversation.”

“So did I, Erin. I should apologize again for you leaving your dinner at the pub.”

“That Shepherd’s Pie was heavenly. Forgetting it was probably my hips’ way of exacting revenge for my being insolent.”

“They have nothing to complain about.” Dave replied. “Believe me, I’m looking and I like what I see.”

His statement made her smile; there was no use trying to hide it. Erin liked to think she didn’t care what men thought of her body. It was all about her own satisfaction with what she saw in the mirror. She was never going to be Christy Turlington. But hearing Dave say that made her feel good. Being admired would never be a bad thing.

“I should give you a piece of advice that’ll help us get along better, David Rossi. While I'm still not sure of all that it entails, you are never allowed to profile me.” She said.

“That’s understandable. For the record, you're allowed to internationally communicate with me whenever you are so moved.”

“Yeah?”

“Mmm hmm. I like this getting along better stuff, how about you?”

She smiled. The rest of the walk was comfortable and quiet. They walked up to her house; Erin took the keys out of her purse. She lived in a red Victorian now converted into three apartments. A writer lived on the first floor; he had three bedrooms. Erin had two on the second floor and a young woman with a lot of male friends lived in a one bedroom on the third.

She walked up the stairs and Dave walked a bit behind enjoying the view. He felt bad, just a bit, for admiring her body as much as he did. She looked fantastic in a pair of stonewashed jeans, a black tank top and a man’s dress shirt unbuttoned but tucked in. She was the epitome of 80s woman of the world chic. And Erin didn’t seem at all uncomfortable in that role. She’d surely been the epitome of 70s woman of the world chic too.

“Would you like some tea?” She asked when they were inside, the door locked, and the lights turned on.

“No thank you. C'mere.” He pulled her to him, leaning against the door and taking full possession of her mouth. He wanted her; he wanted her body, her mind, and possibly even her heart. It scared him a little. It had been a while since Dave dated. He played the field, sometimes, but that got old quickly. He was attracted to Erin from the moment he saw her across the room in that art gallery. Talking with her and listening to her only made him want her more.

“I broke my cardinal rule for you.” She murmured between his passionate kisses.

“What's your cardinal rule?” His mouth allowed hers to breathe, trailing kisses down her neck and across her collarbone.

“I do not put out on the first date. I don't David Rossi. I’ll have you know that I'm not easy.”

“Hell no…you are hard.” A laugh came from his throat before he kissed her again. “You're one tough cookie, Erin Strauss, and I’m attracted to you. You're beautiful, but you're more than that. You're a lot more than that.”

“I know I am.”

“You should be proud of that. Some women aren’t. And you didn't break the cardinal rule, by the way.”

“What do you mean?” Erin slipped his jacket off his shoulders and down his arms. It ended up on the floor as they made their way to her bedroom.

“That was not our first date. It was the first night we met and there's a difference. So you didn’t break your cardinal rule. Tonight was our first date.”

“OK,” her dress shirt hit the floor as they entered the dark bedroom. The light from the hallway was going to have to be enough. “Let me rephrase then. I'm about to break my cardinal rule for you.”

“And I'm honored.” Dave laid her back on the bed when he got her tank top off. She was working on the buttons of his shirt. “I'm not being facetious.”

“That’s OK, there's something about your facetious side that I find really cute.”

“I knew it.” Dave laughed, shrugging out of his shirt. He took off his shoes and then Erin’s. “I'm adorable.”

“No, I said cute, not adorable.” She clarified.

“Semantics,” Back in her arms, Dave nimble fingers unsnapped her bra while his mouth made her moan. “Pure and simple.”

“You're…” Now Erin was laughing. “I'm not used to this.”

“What?” Dave undressed her completely. Damn, she was truly a sight to behold.

“This is fun, David.”

“Good. Isn’t it supposed to be?”

“I guess so.”

“I know so.” He took her face in his hands, kissing her. “I also know I'm eager to make love to you.”

“What are you waiting for?” Erin asked.

“I need the feeling of being overwhelmed to wane.”

“I'm not sure that it will. Work through it. You're quite a skillful man…I have faith in you.”

Dave smiled, working through it like the pro that he was.

***

  



End file.
